Emergency Demonstrations Held Across State in Response to U.S. Threat of War with Syria

As the U.S. government marched towards war with Syria in late August, anti-war groups and activists across the state responded with two weeks of emergency demonstrations.

U.S. air and naval forces off the Syrian coast are ready to launch missile and air strikes at any time, and Britain and France, the former colonizers of the region, are set to join in the assault. Activists say the U.S. is taking a page from the second Iraq War playbook, and is once again using WMDs as justification for an attack; this time against forces loyal to Assad without unequivocal evidence of who is responsible. Groups say the U.S. is entering a war without a coherent plan or clear objectives, which can only lead to a disaster in which the primary victims will be the sons and daughters of Syria.

The ANSWER Coalition organized a series of protests, and actions were planned for the offices of Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, and Barbara Boxer. Events were also held at well known anti-war protest locations such as Peace Crossroads in San Jose and on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz.